Two Gaza men succumb to wounds sustained during Monday protests

May 19, 2018 1:40 P.M. (Updated: May 21, 2018 2:35 P.M.)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Two Palestinian men from Gaza succumbed to wounds on Saturday that they had sustained during protests on Monday, May 14th, when Israeli forces killed at least 63 Palestinian protesters along the Gaza border.

The Gaza Ministry of Health said in a statement that 20-year-old Muhammad Elayyan succumbed to his wounds in the al-Quds Hospital. He was injured during Monday’s protests, east of the al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The second Palestinian who succumbed to wounds on Saturday was identified as Muin Abd al-Hamid al-Saie, 59, from the al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza. He succumbed to his wounds at al-Shifa hospital.

According to the ministry of health, the death of the two men on Saturday brought the total number of Palestinians who were killed as a result of Monday’s violent suppression of protests to 65.

The ministry added that more than 3,000 people were injured on Monday alone.

Monday marked the deadliest day of protests since the Great March of Return began in Gaza on March 30th.

The protests came to a climax on Monday, May 14, as Palestinians demonstrated against the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

Tuesday, May 15th, marked the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Nakba, or "catastrophe," as Palestinians commemorated when an estimated 750,000 Palestinians were made refugees and forcibly expelled from their homes with the creation of the state of Israel.